Chapter 5

The War of Troy


A. Comprehension Questions

(1) Answer the following in about 10 to 20 words each:

1. Who was not invited to the wedding feast? 

Answer: Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited to the wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis.


2. How did Eris react when she learnt that she had not been invited to the wedding feast?

Answer: Eris was infuriated when she learned that she had not been invited to the wedding feast. In her anger, she decided to take revenge by throwing a golden apple among the guests, inscribed with the words "meant for the fairest." This led to a quarrel among the goddesses over who was the fairest.


3. What did Eris do to take her revenge?

Answer: To take her revenge, Eris threw a golden apple among the gods and goddesses at the wedding feast. The apple was inscribed with the words "meant for the fairest," which caused a quarrel among the three goddesses—Athene, Hera, and Aphrodite—each claiming the apple for herself.


4. What was written on the apple?

 Answer: The words written on the apple were "meant for the fairest."


5. Who claimed the apple?

Answer: The apple was claimed by three goddesses: Athene, Hera, and Aphrodite. Each of them believed she was the fairest and wanted to possess the apple. 


6. Why did Zeus not solve their problem?

Answer: Zeus did not solve the problem because he did not want to take sides in the dispute between the three goddesses. He realized that the situation was too difficult and risky for him, so he decided to stay out of it and sent the goddesses to Paris, a mortal shepherd, to settle the matter.


7. What rewards did the three goddesses promise Paris?

 Answer: The three goddesses promised Paris the following rewards:

  • Hera promised him power and riches.
  • Athene promised him glory and fame.
  • Aphrodite promised to give him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen.

Paris chose Aphrodite, and in return, she helped him win Helen's love.


8. Why was Paris brought up in obscurity?

Answer: Paris was brought up in obscurity because an oracle had prophesied that he would one day bring ruin to the city of Troy. To prevent this, he was abandoned and raised away from the royal court, leading a simple life as a shepherd.


9. What was the prize given to Paris?

Answer: The prize given to Paris was Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, who was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta. Paris, with the help of Aphrodite, seduced Helen and took her to Troy, which eventually led to the outbreak of the Trojan War.


10. Why did the Greek army besiege Troy ?

Answer: The Greek army besieged Troy to recover Helen, who had been abducted by Paris, the prince of Troy. Helen was the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, and after her abduction, Menelaus called upon other Greek kings and chieftains to help him retrieve her, leading to the long and devastating Trojan War.


11. How was Hector killed?

 Answer: Hector was killed by Achilles. After the death of his close friend Patroclus, who had been wearing Achilles' armor, Achilles sought revenge on Hector. The two warriors faced each other in a duel outside the gates of Troy. Hector initially tried to escape but eventually turned to fight when he saw that there was no way to retreat. Achilles killed Hector with a thrust of his spear, and his death marked a significant blow to the Trojans.


12. What was the prophecy about Achilles?

 Answer: The prophecy about Achilles stated that he would die young. To protect him, his mother Thetis bathed him in the magical waters of the river Styx, which made his body invulnerable. However, the water did not touch the heel by which she held him, leaving that spot vulnerable. This "Achilles' heel" later became the cause of his death when Paris, guided by the gods, shot a poisoned arrow that struck him there.


13. How did Achilles die?

 Answer: Achilles died when Paris shot a poisoned arrow at him. The arrow, guided by the gods, struck his heel, which was the only vulnerable part of his body. His mother, Thetis, had made the rest of his body invincible by dipping him in the magical river Styx, but the heel by which she held him remained unprotected. The wound from the arrow led to his death.


14. Did the Greeks turn back?

 Answer: No, the Greeks did not actually turn back. They pretended to abandon the siege of Troy by sailing away and leaving behind a huge wooden horse. In reality, most of the Greek army hid on a nearby island, while a few warriors concealed themselves inside the hollow horse. This trick, known as the Trojan Horse, allowed them to enter the city secretly and ultimately led to Troy’s destruction.


15. What was inside the wooden horse?

Answer: Inside the wooden horse were armed Greek soldiers. They had hidden there as part of a clever trick to gain entry into the city of Troy. Once the horse was brought inside the city walls and the Trojans were asleep, the soldiers came out, opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, and launched a surprise attack that led to the fall of Troy.


16. What was the priest's suggestion?

Answer: The priest Laocoon warned the Trojans not to trust the wooden horse. He suspected it was a Greek trick and said, "Have you not seen enough of Greek trickery to be on your guard against it?" He advised them not to bring the horse into the city, suggesting that the Greeks could be treacherous even when offering gifts.


17. What did Sinon tell about the horse?

Answer: Sinon, the young Greek captive, tricked the Trojans by telling them a false story about the horse. He said that:

  • The wooden horse was a peace-offering to Athene, the goddess.
  • The Greeks had made it huge on purpose, so the Trojans would not be able to carry it into the city.
  • He also claimed that if the Trojans took the horse inside Troy, the Greeks would lose the war.

    This clever lie convinced the Trojans to bring the horse into the city, leading to their downfall.


18. When did the soldiers come out of the horse?

Answer: The soldiers came out of the wooden horse at night, when the city of Troy was quiet and asleep after a day of celebration. Sinon, who had stayed behind, opened the horse and let the Greek soldiers out. They then opened the city gates to let in the rest of the Greek army, which had returned under the cover of darkness.


19. Did the Greeks get Helen at last?

Answer: Yes, the Greeks did get Helen at last. After they entered the city of Troy at night and caused great destruction, Menelaus rushed to the palace, found Helen, and took her back to Sparta. This marked the end of the Trojan War and the complete fall of Troy.